Research Guides: Corporate Communication and Public Affairs: A Guide to Research

Business Articles
How to find and read business articles.
Citation Help
Get help using APA, MLA, IEEE, and Chicago styles, and citing data.
Citing Business Sources
Citing common business sources in APA format.
Companies and Ads
Find information on background, competitors, financials, non-profits, and private companies.
Consumers
Understanding consumers with market research, demographics, psychographics, media, and consumer behavior research.
Industries and Market Research
Learn how to find background info on companies, use NAICS/SIC codes, research associations, use market research.
Newspapers
Find current, historical, and SMU newspapers.
Political Communication
Learn about campaigns, polls, and political speech.
Statistical Sources
Find statistics by subject or location. Learn how to evaluate statistics.

Nexis Uni
This is the biggest database of news sources, business magazines and press releases. It is good for backgrounding a company if you choose "Company Dossier" in the Menu.
IBISWorld
Start with this database first to understand an industry. There are reports for all NAICS with trends, statistics, competitors, and more.
Communication Source
Scholarly and popular articles on communication and media. This is the first place to look for researching communications and media theory.
Business Source Complete
This has a lot of different types of information including articles, case studies, industry reports, market research reports, country reports, company profiles, SWOT analyses and more. The company limiter in the drop box can be helpful.
Mergent Intellect
Directory of large and small businesses, both public and private.
First Research industry profiles are a best bet for background information. Also, job listings, residential data, and consumer demographics with segmentation.